Billy Crowell
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1887-1888)
Billy Crowell was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1887 to 1888 for the Cleveland Blues and the Louisville Colonels, a span of 2 seasons. Across 64 career appearances, he went 19-45 with a 5.15 ERA and 138 strikeouts. He also batted .124 with 0 home runs.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'8" / 160 lb
- Died
- 7/24/1935 in Fort Worth, TX, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1887-04-20
- Last Game
- 1888-09-05
Full name: William Theodore Crowell
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1887 | CL3 | AA | 14 | 31 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 1 | 0 | 389.1 | 541 | 211 | 138 | 72 | 4.88 | 4.17 (-17%) | -2456.9 |
| 1888 | CL3 | AA | 5 | 13 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 150.2 | 212 | 97 | 61 | 61 | 5.79 | 2.95 (-97%) | -3436.4 |
| 1888 | LS2 | AA | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6.00 | 2.95 (-104%) | 0.0 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 19 | 45 | 64 | 64 | 62 | 1 | 0 | 549.0 | 765 | 314 | 205 | 138 | 5.15 | — | -5,893 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 64 | 217 | 20 | 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 14 | 67 | .124 | .181 | .138 | .319 | -1,691 |
Career AVG .124 vs. league average .255 across their career seasons — 51.1% below league average.
Career OBP .181 vs. league average .311 across their career seasons — 41.8% below league average.
Career SLG .138 vs. league average .347 across their career seasons — 60.1% below league average.
Career OPS .319 vs. league average .658 across their career seasons — 51.5% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1887 | CL3 | AA | 45 | 156 | 15 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 43 | .141 | .270 (-48%) | .331 (-40%) | .373 (-61%) | .705 (-51%) | -1224.9 |
| 1888 | CL3 | AA | 18 | 58 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 24 | .086 | .238 (-64%) | .290 (-55%) | .319 (-62%) | .610 (-59%) | -465.9 |
| 1888 | LS2 | AA | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | -465.9 |
| Career · 3 seasons | 64 | 217 | 20 | 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 14 | 67 | .124 | — | — | — | — | -2,157 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 64 |
| Right Field | 1 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Billy Crowell (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Billy Crowell: the record in brief
Billy Crowell played a first major league game on April 20, 1887 and a last one on September 5, 1888. The team column moves through the Cleveland Blues (1887 through 1888) and the Louisville Colonels (1888). Crowell is listed as a pitcher at 5 feet, 8 inches and 160 pounds. The bio says Crowell batted and threw right-handed. Crowell was born on November 6, 1865, in Cincinnati, OH, USA. The bio records the death on July 24, 1935, in Fort Worth, TX, USA. The given name on file is William Theodore Crowell.
Across 64 games (64 starts), Crowell recorded 19 wins against 45 losses with a 5.15 ERA. The same table counts 138 strikeouts and 62 complete games. The league ERA over Crowell's seasons was 3.54, so the 5.15 figure ran 45.2% worse than average. 1887 brought Crowell a season-high 14 wins. 1887 was Crowell's sharpest full season, a 4.88 ERA against the league's 4.17.
Frequently Asked Questions about Billy Crowell
- What years did Billy Crowell play?
- Billy Crowell played in Major League Baseball from 1887 to 1888.
- Was Billy Crowell a pitcher?
- Yes. Billy Crowell pitched in the major leagues, recording 19 wins and 138 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Billy Crowell hit?
- Billy Crowell hit 0 career home runs with 27 hits.
- What teams did Billy Crowell play for?
- Billy Crowell played for 2 teams: the Cleveland Blues (1887–1888) and the Louisville Colonels (1888).
- What were Billy Crowell's career stats?
- In 64 games, Billy Crowell went 19-45 with a 5.15 ERA, 138 strikeouts, and 549.0 innings pitched. At the plate he had 27 hits and 0 home runs.
- What position did Billy Crowell play?
- Billy Crowell played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Billy Crowell and how much did he weigh?
- Billy Crowell was listed at 5 feet 8 inches and 160 pounds.
- What was Billy Crowell's career ERA?
- Billy Crowell finished with a 5.15 career ERA, going 19-45 with 138 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Billy Crowell have?
- Billy Crowell recorded 138 career strikeouts.
- Is Billy Crowell in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Billy Crowell has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.